Hawaiian Flavors Bloom at San Francisco’s ‘Aina

Published November 10, 2017•Updated on November 10, 2017 at 7:00 pm

'Aina presents Hawaiian food with the refined technique of a celebrated San Francisco restaurant. Now there's a tasting menu option.

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Eric Wolfinger
Chefs remix the traditional taro root ball called pa'i'ai by turning it into a crispy puff, similar to a chicharron. It's served with kanpachi (amberjack fish) cured in combo seaweed and wrapped in Hawaiian ti leaves, a foundational technique in island cooking.

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Eric Wolfinger
The chefs draw a sharp distinction between the Bay Area explosion of middling poké bars and their fresh Inamona Limu Poké, served with Monterey limu seaweed and Hawaiian ahi tuna with black rice puffs made to resemble the lava rocks of Keao's homeland and an a oceanic froth.

Eric Wolfinger
The 'Aina tasting menu concludes with a transportive dessert that's a fancy take on haupia, which is kind of a coconut Jello. Here it's a custard served with a Hawaiian ginger olena tart, Big Island macadamia nuts, guava purée and black sesame ice cream.